Former Athens Sheriff Pat Kelly sentenced to seven years in prison

Former Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday morning almost a month after he was found guilty of 18 of 25 accounts in February.

Kelly’s sentence will commence immediately.

Kelly was handed three years in prison for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, which included Kelly instructing friend Pearl Graham to facilitate criminal actions by selling county property, and then ignoring the county's requirement to provide car titles when scrapping vehicles at McKee Auto Parts & Recycling. Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity is a first-degree felony.

Additionally, Kelly was sentenced to two years for perjury by visiting Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove and two years for separate counts of theft.

The charges Kelly was found guilty of — handed to Kelly by Cosgrove after a nearly three-week long trial — included 12 charges of theft in office, one charge of perjury, one charge of failing to keep a cashbook, three charges of theft and one charge of engaging in a corrupt activity.

He was also ordered to return all Athens County property — including his badge and gun — within 24 hours, which he had neglected to do before the sentencing hearing.

Kelly's sentence also included five years of post-release control and three additional years for each charge.

The court room was full Friday morning as Pat Kelly's supporters and family members, Athens County residents, police officers, BCI agents and media occupied the gallery.

Kelly’s family sat in the bench behind where the former sheriff would be handed his sentence.

A crowd of supporters stood as Kelly entered the room unhandcuffed and dressed in a suit just before 11 a.m. Friday morning. Some offered kind words; some just wanted to shake his hand. His family quietly embraced him and Kelly kissed his wife.

The crowd of onlookers continued to stand silently until a court constable asked them to sit nearly twenty minutes later.

During statements from the state, Assistant Attorney General Melissa Schiffel asked the Kelly be given a “substantial incarceration for a substantial amount of time.”